davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
The Elephant Plant.

At first this was thought to bea palm, but differs in some important points from the palms. It is given family all by itself, which, though related to the palm family, is the Vegetable Ivory family' or in botanical language the phytelephasia, a rather long word for SO small family. The ivory nut trees arc found in the northern portions of South America, along the rivers of New Gran ada, Peru, etc., that come down from the mountains. The trunks of the trees rise buta short distance above the sur face, indeed are often entirely below. Ih leaves, from twenty to thirty feet or more long form magnificent tuft, each leaf beautifully divided like giant feather. The pistillate of fertile flowers and the staminate or infertilc flowers, are on separate trees. These staminate flowers are crowded on short stems, as seen in those snake-like objects on the nearest tree. The fertile flowers are followed by large capsules, or fruits, as large as mans head, very rough on the outside, and containing about forty nuts, as large as a full-grown black walnut. The nuts themselves, have thin, brittle crust, when ripe, but when young arc filled with a soft pulp, which the natives eat in that state. This hardens as the nuts ripen, and when quite mature becomes as hard as ivory. The nuts require no other preparation than to knock away the outer shells, and to gather them up. They are sold by the hundred The trees are sometimes to be seen in cultiva- tion, in large conservatories, where they are conspicuous ornaments. s.-[ American Agriculturist.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
What the Baby was Thinking.

Mrs. Fogg: As I came by the station just now, saw baby in its carriage. It was amusing to see the little thing watch tho locomotive as it rushed past, and until it was out of sight. wonder what the little darling was thinking ofs
 Fogg: That depends. If it was girl, she was thinking, "splendid," "just too lovely for anything" or something of that sort. If it was boy, he might have been mentally constructing a smoke consumer or patent coupler, but proba- bly was considering whether it was best to invest in the ro,ds common or pre- ferred stock, its first, second or third mortgage bonds, its equipment sevens, land grant eights, or car-trust thirteens. -[Boston Transcript.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
San Francisc0's Chinatown,

Chinatown is one of the first places visited by the Fastener. The people, their merchandise, their manner of liv- ing, are all strange and curious, and one finds no end of interesting things to see and hear. The influx of eastern visi- tors this year has created an unusual boom in Chinese curios The prices asked for most of the things are twice that of year ago. However, if one has enough of the trader in him, he may buy things at his own price, for they will bear beating down, and finally offer the goods at the customers price before al- lowing him to leave without buying They are queer mixture, this product of an old, old civilization. .-[ San Fran cisco Letter.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
An Indian Funeral.

The Indian funeral-it is solemn, impressive, interesting ceremony. The remains of child, we will suppose, are brought in. The mourners are still. They point up to the Great Spirit, down to the bad spirit. They hand round the remains. They chant on their knees, later standing up--they lay bows and arrows and other implements on the re- mains-the chanting continues. The body is placed on scaffolding, where it decays in time. The skull is then washed and cleaned. It is placed in a circle with other skulls, and in time it disappears. The spirit is now thought to have crossed the wide river to the happy hunting ground beyond. Boston Globe
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Negro Mortality.

The death of the negro hereabouts is an event of such rare occurrence that some people have formed a notion that the mortality rate among the whites is greater than that amoag the blacks. That this is fallacious idea is proved by southern statistics. In Charleston the average of the last three years has been: Whites,' 21.3o per thousand; ne- .groes, 43.42, or more than double: in Savannah, 17.63 and 3s. 78; iu Memphis, 1885 and 3e.15, respectively. In Charleston the mortality was four times as great among negro children under five years of age as among white child ren.-[ Utica Observer.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Boxing the Ears.

Dr. Samuel Sexton has contributed an article to the Medical Record on the sub- ject of boxing the ears. He has upon his records fifty-onc cases in which the ear has been injured by blows of the open hand or fist. Of these, thirty one were males and twenty females. Of the males, thirteen had been boxed upon the right ear, thirteen upon the left, and three upon both ears. One was kicked by companion upon the left ear while bathing, and the right car of another was injured by having the head violent ly squeezed between the hands of an- other person. Of the females, fourteen were struck upon the left ear and six upon the right. Five of the women were assaulted by their husbands. j Of the entire number, eight were boxed in play, four by school-teachers, two by parents, and one, fervent lover, by his sweetheart. Several cases occurred among pugilists, and others were due to assaults aad brawls. The nature of the injuries varied to a considerable degree One had infam- nation of the ear, with suspicion. of in-, tracranial trouble. He had had running of the ear for twelve years, following a blow upon that organ. This patient subsequently, died of brain disease. In another case the ear became infamed, and the hearing was very much impaired. In still another, the patient was slapped by his father upon the left ear. Immc- diate pain and deafness followed, with bloody discharge from the car. It was three months before this case recovered. The dangers to which Dr. Sexton calls attention are so grave that parents, teachers, and others should never pun ish those committed to their charge by boxing the ear.-[ -[Science.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Ruined by the Turf.

"Thc turf did it, madam" said the tramp, engulting slab of homemade pie with the reckless air of a man who has outlived hope; "believe me, l have seen better days, but the turf ruined me-"
 "You lost your money on the races, then?' said the woman.
 Mot exactly" he replied in respon- sleeping on the ground for five or six consecutive years"
 And dropping piece of the under crust to the ground with dull, heavy thud, he went his way and she saw him no more.-[ Burdctte.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
An Odd Clock.

A clock recently patented in France is in imitation of a tambourine, on the parchment head of which is painted circle of flowers, corresponding to the hour figures of ordinary dials. On cx animation, two bees, one large and the other small arc discovered crawling among the flowers. The small bee runs rapidly from one flower to another, com pleting the circle in an hour, while the large one takes twelve hours to complete the circuit. The parchment surface is unbroken and the bees simply laid upon it, but two magnets connected with the clockwork inside the tambourine move just under the membrane, and the in- sects, which are of iron, follow them.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
At the Gate.

Beside @ mighty city's gate, Where passed at morn the proud and great To seek a sacred shrine that stood Within the precincts of wood, A crippled beggar sat, and loud Besought the ever passing crowd. His need was sore, but they denied; eve seek to find out God" they cried, AS by the altar, on the sod They knelt-"We seek to find out Godr' The day declined, The great and proud Who sought that morn the shrine, and bowed Their heads as though in reverence there, Forgot the shrine, forgot the prayer, But To! the man whom they denied A pittance as they passed in pride, Dead by the gateway, knew what they So vainly sought, as, day by day, They toward the holy altars trod, He-he alone-had found out Godi
 s7 IClinton Scollard
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Medical Virtues of Onions.

A mother writes: 'Once week in- variably, and it generally when we had cold meat minced, gave tho children dinner which was hailed with delight and looked forward to; this was dish of boiled onions. The little things knew not that they were taking the best medicines for expelling what most chil- dren suffer from-worms. Mine were kept free by this remedy alone. Not only boiled onions for dinner but chives also were they encouraged to eat with their bread and butter, and for this pur pose they had tufts of chives ill their lit tie gardens. It was medical man who taught me to eat boiled onions as specific for cold in the chest. He did not know at the time, till told him, that they were good for anything else. :"
 The above appeared in the Lancaster Pennl New Era, and having fallen under the eye of an experienced physi- clan of that county, he writes as fol- lows:
 1.-The above ought to be published in letters of gold and hung up beside the table, so that the children could read it and remind their parents that no family ought to be without onions the whole year round. Plant old onions in the fall, and they will come up at least three weeks earlier in the spring than by spring planting. Give children of all ages few of them raw, as soon as they are fit to be eaten; do not miss treating them with mess of raw onions three or four times week. When they get too large, or too strong to be eaten raw, then boil or roast them. During unhealthy seasons, when diphtheria and like contagious diseases prevail, onions ought to be eaten in the spring of the year at least once a week. Onions are invigor- ating and prophylactic beyond descrip- tion. Further, challenge the medical fraternity, or any mother to point out a l place where children have died from diphtheria or scarlatina anginosa, etc., where onions were freely used"
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Honesty Always Wins.

Irate citizcn-See, here, sir, that.land you sold to me is under water half the time.
 Real estate man-Yes, supposed you wanted it for a fish pond. Don't see what you bought it for if you didn't.
 "Great snakes! Why didn't you say it wasn't fit to build on2 How was to know the Missouri River had mortgage on it."
 ''I stated the fact that it was very low land in my advertisement.
 "Never said word about it."
 "Oh, you're mistaken. It was in great big type: Land for Sale. Very Low '"-I Omaha World.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Brief Snake Stories.

William Widick and Sam Smith of Bethany, Ill.,, killed 16O rattlesnakes at one seance.
 The dog of George Marion of Renssel- aer, Ind, began barking at g hole in the ground. Marion dug down and killed 113 blue racers and 27 bull snakes.
 Mrs. Emma Gephart of Tuscola found blue racer coiled under her pillow when she went to retire. Assistance was called, and the reptile was killed.
 Farmer, Whites reapE picked up an immense rattlesnake and hurled it into lis lap. He knocked it on the head with the but of hisswhip and drove on. This was s-at Rieaniagton, Ill.
 Milk and whiskey saved the life of the little son of Liking Valley of Carlisle, Penn, who was bitten on the lips by a copperhead while hunting hens eggs. He suffered frightful spasms, and his face was swollen beyond recogni- ton.
 A Goldendalc (W. ID rattlesnake kept 16-year-old boy prisoner in a small tree for four hours The boy had stoned the snake and then sought refuge in the tree. His failure to appear at dinner caused a search to be made for him.
 A black snake eight feet long sprang at Karl Kramer, near Richmond, Va, and coiled itself tightly around his neck, nearly suffocating him. He staggered up to large rock and beat the head of the snake against it until the snake died.
 A Murphy (N. O. colored woman awoke in the night to find huge snake coiled about her neck. Instead of faint ing she grabbed the reptile, flung it against the wall with all her force, and went to sleep again. Daylight revealed one of the largest dead rattlers ever seen in that vicinity.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
HUMOROUS.

A stowaway-The glutton.
 Lost at sea-The sight of land.
 The writing masters business is flour lshing, The hardest kind of pork is made of
 This is bad time to buy thermome- ters-they are so high.
 The last charge at Gettysburg was made by the hotel-keepers.
 ''The New York girls practice smiling before glass;" The men smile behind it.
 The musical composition "Warblings at Eve" is the first intimation that Adam was singer.
 The susceptible youth is like mos quito. There is 1Attle hope for him after he gets mashed.
 From the records of recent collegeN graduates it is believed the letters B. A. } indicate Boss AthleteN
 Fish culture will never reach its high est form of usefulness until fish arc taught how to bite so that they may be hooked. It is estimated that there is one COW to every four persons in this country. The young lady in the red shawl always gets her share.
 One of the most mournful things inN nature must always be the inevitable tendency of the young man in love to / imagine himself poet!
 A man recently astonished his wife by coming home with two black eyes. .'What have you been doing9" said she. ''Getting pair of socks," he replied.
 Farmers in $he summer time don't need to buy the flnny papers. All they have to do is to gS out and watch the city boarder trying fs swing the scythey
 "Previous engagements" are one of the resources of civilization. They are beneficial invention to enable public men to avoid getting into troublesome places.
 ''Doctor," said MT. Timid, 'I am very fond of the water, but don't want to take cold; what shall 1 dog' Don't want to take holda Then let go. Dol lar'n 'alf, please"
 The boy who has been in swimming under the blazing sun may be distin- guished by his tendency to keep away from the back of his shirt as much as possible. A New-England man has just had . patent granted to him for Gan electric switch" The particulars are not given, but it looks as if the future of the small boy was discouraging. | Wives love indulgent husbands, And we've sometimes heard of such; Yet women maintain They've a right to complain
 When husband indulges too much.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Loves Flower.

 If I were blind and thou shouldst enter Fer so softly in the room,
 should know it., should feel it, Something subtle would reveal it, And glory round the centre That would tighten up the gloom, And my heart would surely guide me, With Love's second sight provide me, One amid the crowd to find, Ii were blind! If were deaf, and thou hadst spoken Ere thy presence had knoX
 should feed it, Something subtle would reveal it, And the seal at once be broken By Loves liquid ,undertone Deaf to others, stranger voices, And the worlds discordant noises- Whisper, wheresoe'er thou art, Twill reach thy heart. t- If were dead, and thou shouldst venture Near the coffin where lay,
 should know it,
 should feel it, Something subtle would reveal it, And no look of mildeSt censure Rest upon that face of clay. Shouldst thou kiss me, conscious flashes Of Loves fire through Deaths cold ashes Would give back the cheek its red, If were dead!
 1.-The Century.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
A Baby as Freight.

A Springfield, Ohio, mother checked her baby carriage to neighboring town where she was about to visit, and forgot to remove the child from it. Just be- fore the train started she missed her baby, and after frantic and fruitless search suddenly remembered where she had left it. She got to the baggage car just in time to get the infant as it was being loaded on the train in its carriage -[Clevcland Leader
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Little by little the government engi-

Little by little the government engi- neers are evolving from the Potomac fiats'' at Washington, what is to be one of the largest and finest parks in the world. According to the latest report on the work by Colonel Hains, the officer in charge, 375 acres have now been re- claimed. About half the work is already done. When completed, the park will be connected with the reservations, be- ginning with the extensive grounds sur rounding the Capitol, the botanical gardens, the Smithsonian grounds, the agricultural grounds, the Monument park and White lot, the whole forming park of extraordinary size and beauty.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

The development of coal and natural gas in far-of localities is giving an i'm pulse to numberless little industries hitherto dependent on distant fuel. Natural gas is found in Dakota and Texas, and they are after it in Colorado. Natural gas is plenty in Utah, and much money is being diverted to its utiliza- tion. A sixty-mile pipe mile is to be laid from the Indiana field to Chicago, and this enterprise has stimulated manu. lecturers of artificial fuel to furnish fue gas as cheap as natural gas for manu featuring purposes.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
No (IOOSeberrieS.

"Waiter," said gentleman in the dining car, "have you any gooseberry pies'
 No, sah; hain't carryin' any dis yeah, sah."
 "Why is that9"
 "Well, you see, sah, dey's scace dis scasum. Las winter was so cole and stormy dat it was mighty tough on de geese. ."-[ Washington Star.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

Apropos of hot weather, it is instruc- tive to know that there are about 7,0OO,- 900 pores in the human body, and that each pore is a quarter of an inch deep. If the pores were hitched together in one string they would reach distance of twenty-eight miles. When you re- member that twenty eight miles of drain age is bringing its sewage to the surface of the body the necessi ity for frequent baths in warm weather can be appreci- afed
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
A Florida company. engaged in Il

A Florida company, engaged in the manufacture of perfumery, has built 8 factory at Jacksonville, and next Spring will start 200-acra flower plantation. They have now one plantation at San Mateo, and are putting seven acres at Jacksonville in flowers. They have 5000, 900 Towering tube-rose bulbs, and a good many-1OO, 0O0-rose geraniums, in addition to which they buy all the roses, yellow jasmines, orange blos- soms, etc., that they can secure.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Constantly Changing.

Little people often have severe strug- gles in mastering the primary facts of life. There was once tiny lad-and the story is so old that he must now be a man-who, on being asked his age, re- piled, wearily, "Oh, they keep changing it so.fast, can't tell! Once they said twas three, and then twas four, and then in little while they called it five and now don't know anything about 1t. ''- Youths Companion.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

The Railway Age says: ''Our Boston
 contemporaries are announcing with
 large head lines that thirteen miles of track have been laid in eleven days on the Massachusetts road, adding that this is 'the fastest railroad work ever done in the country Our New England friends probably never saw or heard of the track laying exploits on score or more Wes- tern roads, where from two to five and even seven miles day of track have been laid down. At the present time one road in Manitoba is pushing its track westward at the rate of from four to five miles day, having last week put down twenty-two miles in five and half days. The Massachusetts performance of thirteen miles of track in eleven days would not be considered worth record ing out in the wild and untamed West. '
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
A Stony Glare.

"Pa," inquired Bobby, who was read ing the paper, ''what is astony glare2'"
 ''It is the expression which comes over a mans face at church." explained the old gentleman, "when the contribu- ton box is held before him and he has neglected to provide himself with any smaA chsnge. New yoflk esln
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

The ancient and famous city of Damas- GUS, which was place of importance 1900 years B. c. is busy with plans for laying railroad lines through the streets. Street cars in a city said to have been founded by Abraham would be start ling novelty. The place has 12O, 900 inhabitants.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

The British telegraph service, which is part of the postofice, does not pay ex- penses since the rate was reduced to six pence per message, or about twelve cents. The deficit for the past year was e223,- 900 on working expenses and e326, 900 for interest on the working capital-in all G55O, 900 or $2, 75O. 900.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

An interesting addition to the advan- tages of electric cars over horse cars in cities may possibly be the heating of the cars by electricity. An electric heater which has just been patented for use on street cars consists of plate of fine clay through which run the wires. When the current acts this plate becomes sufficient ly hot to heat the car. For cars of the ordinary size the plates are 12 feet long, eight inches wide and one inch thick. In the experiments already made two of these heaters have been used in each car, and it is found that in half an hour after the current began passing the plates were giving out sufficient heat and had attained temperature of 1SO degrees. It is also found that the amount of cur rent required for this purpose is almost insignificant and would cost nothing q comparsd with the expense of stoyes.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

The worlds progress is marked by the fact that while only few years ago, while Stanley was iR Central Africa, it took two years to hear from him, now we get word of his movements in less than two months. The man who makes the world go round twice when it used to go round once is public benefactor.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

Philip Hensen of Corinth, Miss, has probably the longest beard of any male biped in the world. Hensen is a man sixty years of age, six feet two inches tall, and when he stands erect his beard touches the ground. It hes not been cut for eleven years and is still growing.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
The Wrong Result.

"Ma," said Bobby, "have 1 been good boy to-day?"
 "Yes, Bobby, and am very proud of you"
 "Well, will you do mo favor, ma?" ''1f it's reasonable, Bobby. What is it?'
 ''Let me go to bed tonight without saying my prayers. "- Life.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
He'll Teach Her.

"I asked Miss Tittlcback to marry me-" remarked Tompkins, ''and she re- fused me. But I'll teach her."
 "Why, what are you going to do about it?"
 'Tll teach her to treat me in that way. I'll never ask her again. ."-[ New York Sun. ...-..
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
An Exploded Theory.

Fond Father--Talk of college not fitting young man for earning living Just as soon as Johnny graduated he ob- tained splendid position.
 Friend-What was it2
 Fond Father -First base. Life.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

George sed Townsend ("Gath'D makes an attack on the private charac- ter of Columbus, and asserts that for years he was lobbyist at the court of Spain, ''called by every name under tho sun that waAss5le.o
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
A Secretive DispOsitiOn.

Her mother and his mother -in-law- He's a brute, my dear, and don't cry. I Save you to him because he said he knew the secret of making you happy
 Daughter--Well, he's kept his secret admirably.
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10

It is estimated that the total produe- tion of coffee in the world is about 600, : 900 tons to $50, 900 tons, of which Brazil alone produces between 340,000 and ;3sO, 900 tons and Jays 60, 900 to 1000
Connecticut western news., 1887-08-10
Connecticut Western News.
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